to be happy, no matter what it does to me."

"Jerry, what is love?"

"I don't know, nobody knows. The people who feel it don't know and those
who never felt it, don't know. Why, Jane?"

"Because I've always supposed it was some great surging passion that
swept you out of yourself and made you a different being. I thought
you'd know the minute it came--the minute it died."

He leaned toward her to look more closely into her face.

"If that's the way love is, I've never known it. But if it is something
sweet and poignant that binds you to somebody, something all woven of
common experiences and habits and needs; if it means something to lean
on when you're in trouble and to be happy with when you're glad, why
then...."

"Why then, Jane?" breathlessly.

"Then at last, Jerry, I know love."

His arms tightened about her, her head slipped to his shoulder, and they
kissed each other--their betrothal kiss. Jerry said nothing, but when
Jane's hand went to his cheek, she felt hot tears there. After a long
while he spoke, humbly:

"Jane, are you perfectly sure? Martin Christiansen is a wonderful, rare
man, and I'm...."

"You're my man, Jerry. I wish we could have him for our friend, but...."

"We will, dearest, if he'll take me, too."

"He will understand, as God would," she said softly.

"Jane, how can you be so wonderful, and want to belong to me?"

With such foolish tenderness of belated courtship they drove through the
silent radiance of the wood. The arbutus scent was intoxicating, and the
night sounds were mysterious. They were silent, happy. As they came out
of the woods and on to the open road again, Jerry heaved a deep sigh.

"Jane, heart of me, I feel as if all the problems in the world were
settled for us!"

She looked up at him, and shook her head, smiling.

"Dear big, little boy-husband, our problems are just beginning. We're
looking at them squarely for the first time!"

"But we're looking at them together, Jane."

"Yes, thanks be to love! Jerry, my husband, what a world! I want to cry
out, with a loud voice, I want to praise the Lord, with trumpets and
with shawms!"

So these two, in goodliest fellowship, turned their faces toward their
new day.

THE END

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